


A Spark from New Phyrexia

by Verrana_Tirith



Category: Magic: The Gathering (Card Game)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-10
Updated: 2020-11-10
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:47:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27483703
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Verrana_Tirith/pseuds/Verrana_Tirith
Summary: While trying to escape to the Quiet Furnace, Verina and what's left of her village find themselves hunted by the Machine Orthodoxy.





	A Spark from New Phyrexia

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, this is the first in what I hope to be many stories in this world. I'm trying to stay away from the main storyline of Magic. This is the first fan fiction I've written in a long time. I'm open to any criticsim.

The green sun shown brightly, bringing with it renewal, and life bringing mana to the forest. The metallic forest seemed to be awash in warm green light. Verina loved this time of day, with the sun high she was able to track her prey, the larger beasts that stalked the forest floor. She stalked her way through the foliage, the trail of her current prey easily visible to her keen eyes. She hoped that it would be enough to feed her village for the harsher days a head, since so few creatures held enough non metallic flesh to be eaten.  
The warm green glow vanished, replaced with darkness of the blackest pitch, and the caress of cold, like fingers, slid over her skin. When it the darkness started to fade, it was the black sun, Ingle. The forest had shifted, where once bright verdant leaves were replaced with thick spines. The beasts of the forest had changed, become twisted versions of themselves. Portions of flesh replaced with metallic carapace, dripping with what looked like oil from their broken flesh. Her people, the Elves, betrayed by Glissa. Compleated into service of the Phyrexian army, along with the rest of Mirrodin’s denizens. She looked to the sky, trying to find something to escape the horror around her. Ingle had been joined by one of the other suns, and the two stared down at her. They had become actual eyes, and she knew just who they belonged to. They were the eyes of her savior and damnation. The maker and destroyer of all. The new Father of Machines.  
Karn.

Verina woke, sweat stinging her eyes. They were close to the entrance that would lead them into the newly created Quiet Furnace. A layer built deep within Mirrodin, by the Phyrexians fueled by the red mana that once flowed. The ones that built the Quiet Furnace, almost entirely ignored the renegade Mirran’s allowing them to coalesce into a small resistance form. There were rumors that the Mirran Resistance worked tirelessly to find a way to wipe the Phyrexians from their world.  
The valley they made camp in was near the largest, what was once a volcano, now only belched only pollution into the air of their world. There was a large cliff face that hid them from the outside world, and hopefully from the Machine Orthodoxy that had come from what use to be the Razor Fields. Made up of completed Leonin, Loxodon, and Humans, and along with other Phyrexians. They transformed them into monstrosities clad in white bone, hard as metal. They had forcibly taken the black Phyrexians by killing their Preator, Sheoldred. Last Verina heard they may have been marching towards the mountains, and into the Quiet Furnace itself. She hoped that it was a rumor, but feared the worst.  
She hated how far Mirrodin had fallen. No one had seen it coming, they came from inside their world, corrupting every thing in their path. Once proud cities, fallen and crushed under the weight of constant Phyrexian compleation. The forests polluted, and the quicksilver ocean ecosystem corrupted for generations. What she hated most, was how the Five Suns shone on, uncaring of the world below.  
If they cared at all… She thought ruefully.  
“I don’t like this, last reports say the entrance should be around here, at least that’s what the report from Lorthrim says.” Koril said, examining the cliff side.  
“Can we even trust Lorthrim? He hasn’t reported in weeks.” Jeran replied, taking his water skin from his pack.  
“Of course we can, he’s my brother and his scouting has never failed us before.” Verina replied bitterly from her perch on top of the largest boulder in the valley. It gave her just enough height to see past the lip of the cliff.  
Jeran was right, and it worried Verina. It wasn’t like Lorthrim to not report in. Last she knew he was headed to Bladehold to report on the continued rising power of the Machine Orthodoxy, lead by Elesh Norn. She hoped that he was safe in Bladehold and would head to Slagmaw after he made his report.  
The four of them, Verina, Koril, Lorthrim, and Jeran, were all that was left of their village. They had lost everything when the Phyrexians first invaded the surface world. They all tried to save the young ones, the ones who hadn’t even seen their eightieth cycle. They were unsuccessful, and they were consumed, and most likely compleated into the Phyrexian army. Koril took the lead of the four, becoming the defacto captain of their group. The other three fell in line behind him, it was easier, and they so few, that there was no infighting for power. A pang of guilt shot through her heart, she felt as though she failed the young and her village by fleeing.  
A rock tumbling down the cliff face snapped her back to reality. It also brought the attention of the other two toward her, waiting for her to give them a signal. She signaled for them to hide, and readied her bow. Ever so slowly she stood straighter on the balls of her feet, and peered over the cliff edge. She saw bone white of a Phyrexian. It had a faintly female form, and a large plate of metal attached to where the forehead should be, covering its eyes completely, and angled to either side of its body and ended in sharpened points. It had to be Elesh Norn, which means that rumors were true and they were headed to the Quiet Furnace, and possibly Slagmaw. Verina’s heart sank, if they took invaded the furnace then they would find the last refuge of Mirrodin’s last hope. She allowed herself a breath of relief as Elesh Norn turned and walked out of view, knowing that Elesh Norn hadn’t seen her.  
Verina signaled that they were clear. Jeran and Koril slowly emerged from their hiding spots, still watching Verina for any sign that the Phyrexians were returning.  
“You’re sure you weren’t seen? You didn’t even hide.” Jeran spoke softly.  
“It didn’t have eyes. So I doubt it, though I think the rumors are true. I think the one I saw was Elesh Norn. Just the way she carried herself…” Verina replied, haunted.  
“We shouldn’t stay here. If the Phyrexians are going to the Quiet Forge then Slagmaw is doomed. Let’s head-” Koril was cut off by the sound of something splattering the valley floor.  
They all turned and saw a black spot on the ground, then another, and another. Verina followed the growing drops up the wall and dread swept over her. The lip of the cliff was awash in a black oil like substance. She knew very well that this was what corrupted her world. Somehow she had been seen, and now they were going to pay the price for her negligence.  
“Go, now!” Screamed Verina  
Too late, the tipping point had been reached and a waterfall of oil cascaded to the valley below. Before she knew what happened, Koril was swept away, again she wasn’t able to protect anyone. She watched as he disappeared under the rapidly rising oil. Jeran scrambled up the boulder, and Verina reached out a hand to assist him. The current was to strong, and she watched his horror ridden eyes, as the oil ripped him away and consumed him. In the span of a few seconds, she had watched the last of her village be torn from her life, aside from her brother, she was alone.  
Verina felt a surge of anger, that seemed to be echoed in the oil that lapped and bubbled at the boulder she stood upon. She looked up, searching for Elesh Norn, willing her to come back so she could see the face of the one she would kill with her own hands. What she saw, broke her mind, and soul. On the ridge stood her brother, now clad in bone white metal, the symbol of Phyrexia, a perfect circle with a vertical line through it, emblazoned on his chest. Oil poured from his uncaring eyes, outlining the cruel smile upon his face. Out of frustration, and fear Verina let out a guttural scream. Letting all of her rage, hate, and sorrow out, as she felt the oil climbing her shins.

Verina felt a snap, and suddenly her lungs had the air ripped from her lungs. It felt like she was falling but couldn’t open her eyes. This must be what they call Phyresis, the beginning of compleation, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. There was one comforting thought, she would be with her village, and her brother again, just not how she hoped. Then she hit solid ground, cool air clawed into her lungs, and felt warm sunshine on her face. Slowly she opened her eyes, and it took a few seconds for them to adjust to the bright light, instead of permanent clouds of pollution over head. She couldn’t understand what happened, or where she was. The trees of the forest she landed in were green with life, and she could hear the sounds of the creatures that lived within it. She couldn’t help the surge of elation, and tears that flowed freely from her face. She quickly dried her eyes, and took stock of herself.  
She still had her bow, and seemed to be physically unharmed, though there was a permanent stain of black oil from the bottom of her knees to her feet. Instantly she felt the familiar pang on shame, and guilt remembering what had happened. The tears came again, unbidden, in great heaving waves.  
“You followed me. I knew it was only a matter of time before someone from Argentium would come.” Came a voice from behind her.  
Quickly Verina readied her bow, and made some room between her and the owner of the voice. She tumbled, nocked an arrow, and loosed the arrow. It hit it’s mark, but instead of a smack of it sinking into flesh. She heard the metal of the arrow head hitting metal, and landing uselessly on the forest floor.  
“Good, you have fight. We’ll need it in the coming fight against they Phyrexians, and the secret places they hide.” The metallic golem said proud.  
Verina stood in awe.  
“Karn?”


End file.
